Belizeans flood employment opportunities for Canada

For two days, long lines of unemployed persons formed at the Radisson hoping to get jobs in the Canadian market. The process has been expeditious and after interviews and short listing, by the end of this afternoon, many received good news that they will be among the two hundred persons heading to Canada next January. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Dozens of Belizeans, a majority of whom are currently unemployed, converged on the Radisson this morning where they filled out an array of job applications by prospective employers in Canada. It is day two of a recruiting exercise being conducted by the Acytl Group. The company, along with its international partners, is here to hire well educated, experienced candidates to fill the existing labor shortage in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Applying for a job is Moses Sulph, erstwhile president of COLA. He’s been out of work since being terminated from the public service over a year ago.

Moses Sulph, Job Applicant

Moses Sulph

“I need to work. This is clearly showing me that there are many Belizeans who want jobs but they cannot find jobs here in Belize and I’ve been saying this for numerous amount of months now to the government that they need to create jobs and they are saying, basically, that there’s a lot of chatter that our people are lazy. I, as every other person, want the opportunity to be able to provide for my family and for myself and if this is an opportunity to where I can go and work and save some money and come back, I can only not also help my immediate family but help those whom I have been trying to help in the society without having to be calling on the government to do it because it is clear that they have no interest in providing jobs for anyone except for their friends and their families.”

Here to provide much needed employment opportunities for young Belizeans is Dr. Linda West. She is the president of the Actyl Group.

Linda West

Dr. Linda West, President, Actyl Group Inc.

“Canada is now short of employees in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta and so we’re down [here] recruiting for fast food chains and for many, many trades. At this stage we hope to bring home about a hundred and fifty to two hundred [employees]. People will start coming up until maybe March or April, starting in January to March or April.”

Isani Cayetano

“What are the accommodations and logistics in order to get these people across to Canada?”

Dr. Linda West

“Yeah, so the recruitment tour is completely free. Nobody’s paying for anything today except for the employers and the flights are free and we set up the accommodations. They do pay rent but there are safe, clean accommodations to come to and then people can choose to move if they want to.”

According to Sulph, landing a job is all the more difficult for him now due to his candid role in advocating social justice.

Moses Sulph

“For me it’s even more difficult to find job here in the country because, according to a lot of people, I’m too outspoken and they don’t want to hire me even though I’m very qualified. I am an honest person, I am a credible person; however, what happens is [that] some of these people don’t want to hire you because they are afraid that because the government is not happy with you that they might take away some of their businesses or something. So there’s a lot of trickle [down] effect.”

Nonetheless, the turnout over the past two days, says Dr. West, has been overwhelming.

Dr. Linda West

“I’ve met lots and lots of [people], three hundred and forty-seven people I think I interviewed yesterday and everybody is so friendly. It’s so wonderful down here.”

Isani Cayetano

“So I am assuming that it’s up to the different employers and the different companies that are going to do their short listing and correspond with these people who have interviewed with you?”

Dr. Linda West

“Yes. So I shortlist, so you’re seeing secondary interviews happening right now with candidates. So somebody’s actually phoning in from Canada and interviewing for a second time so they take my shortlist and then they actually select and hire. There will be people hired today.”

Among the companies looking for potential employees is McDonald’s, the global fast food juggernaut. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

It’s too bad we suffer a weak economy and massive unemployment, so that our citizens have to leave their families, friends, and homes to go abroad to feed their families. Best wishes to these people, that they will have their dreams fulfilled better in their new land.

Well said Moses. That is exactly right their are no jobs in the country this is why people are robbing killing and so many murders it correlates with jobs which their is none worse pm and gov. In the history of this nation . Only barrow and his people have jobs and are roping the rest of the belizean people but I guess we belizeans must like it because we sit back and do nothing instead of marching to the pm house and send him and his gov. Packing.

While I applaud Canada for helping our Belizeans, our citizens must be reminded that the grass is not greener on the other side of the pasture, working for minimum wage, how can you save and send home to provide for your family, remember you have to pay your bills in Canada also, it’s not free

@ Belizeans minimum wage is 9 US dollar! @storm a lot of people leaved their countries and moved to another country to better their lives. Not just Belize. Iam happy for all of them that gets higher. Time for a change my people.

@ belizean….. I get your point but, if you don’t have a job in Belize and you have any desire and ambition to provide for your family, in a storm, the likes of which is lashing the Jewel, then “any port will do”.
As a people, we are hard working, dependable and resilient and being on the other side of the fence is what has brought out the very best in most of us. So it might be minimum wage and all that but, it beats a blank, as we say out here and I have every confidence that “mi belize cruffy”, will do just fine. Minus zero degree temperature in the winter and all.

People are not robbing and killing because there are no jobs. They are doing it because they are lawless, lazy, and are being paid $150 per week to be lazy and criminals. Minimum who??? These people going to Canada have NO WAGES! LET THEM GO! AND IF I WERE THEM, WOULD NEVER COME BACK!

@Hi5, you are on drugs like McAfee, no where in the US is minimum wage $9/hr. even when you factor in state or federal wage. If you are going to work at fast food jobs, you’re better off staying in Bz. Like everywhere you have to have a college or university degree to make money abroad, but something is better than nothing so go try it out.

@Monica, people write stuff on this blog and have no idea, the minimum wage in america is somewhere between $7.00 -7.50 not quite sure of the amount. While I wish them well, they must bear in mind that because they are from a foreign country they will have to work twice as hard which i have no doubt they can do. I work hard, make a good living but after a while you quit dealing with the corporate bs and start your own business, they can do that also. At Louisville, Ky I never for one said that my fellow Belizeans are not resilient, that’s what makes us strong as a people, I was merely trying to say they should think twice before they jump out the fire into the frying pan.

Allow me to mention that: Is a good Idea to Go, by learning also what Canadeans do good work wise. We all can learn and be remaind this saying:
That good things do not come easy, and Also that good things are Not always things.
To you my cruufy crew that might be going, Just memba to do what is pleasant to God and bring
the good of you as Belizeans and even beyond that! as respectfull creature that God has created, and treat everyone that is near You from this moment on with the same Love as You believe He loves you and you Can and Will do just fine.. also if you are already living what I try to say here I know the joy that is felt. with love and peace unu breda!!!

@Artful i agree. Its just that some people don’t want to sweat hard for money. No jobs in Belize? Then why do i see some companies such as the banana and the citrus industry go hire workers from other countries to come work here?

I am glad that Dr. Linda West and her company is trying to help not only the Belizian People, but also the Canadian companies looking for the labour force. I have seen these programs before, and the remote areas where these vulnerable people are relocated to is in such a harsh environment that not even a born-raised Canadian can easily adapt. Furthermore, what often happens is that when these immigrants arrive, there is not confirmed job and they end up applying for social assistance, where they are reported to Immigration Canada and subsequently deported back to their originating country as they do not qualify for financial assistance. My advice to the Belizeans concidering such a drastic risk is to be very diligent and do your research before uprooting yourself and/your family to a faraway land of opportunity. I wish nothing but the best of luck to those of you who are successful in acquiring employment in Canada.

Harsh enrivonment? Yes it’s cold here(especially for a Belizean that’s not used to -40 in the winter)… but it’s CANADA… I can’t think of a job anywhere around where I live that I wouldn’t do to make some money.

I am a Belizean student from a small city near Saskatchewan. Winter here is extremely cold, it could go under -40 celcius. I believe the minimum wage is around 11 to 13, but normally business here pay higher than the minimum wage. Here is way better than Belize, people are very polite and friendly.

Life is a journey and when you are on a journey it takes you different places, like many of those who have seeking employment for long period of time, reading newspapers applying for different vacancies to no avail either to receive a letter from the company that you are too qualified for the post, even when clearly you are willing to start at lower point. Many have to commenting on the minimum wage, I say to them a minimum wage is better that no wage at all, it is an opportunity to work in an environment which look at your qualification and intelligence rather that your name or which side of the spectrum you are on. The minimum wage being disputed here is the same money that those who get the job can come back home and achieve more than they would have achieved here. We all love Belize and would want to contribute our knowledge and expertise to our country, however due to inability of those in governance to created jobs or attract investors our best option is getting a job where one is been offered.

We all have the ability to make a little sacrifice and I believe it is in the best interest of our country and our families that we seek honest means of being able to work which is also a human right…. For those who are accepted we will be ambassadors of Belize so it is very important for us to be good representation so others will be able to get the same opportunities in the near future…